Judy & Dan // San Francisco City Hall & Foreign Cinema

Oh man oh man…have we waited so long to share this wedding! Judy is a master at DIY and did most of the details herself – her love for glitter, gold, pink and romance is apparent and as Style Me Pretty says, she might as well work for them!

Judy and Dan planned their San Francisco wedding so their guests could get the full SF tour. This was our first San Francisco wedding photography gig after moving back to California from New York and what a way to get re-introduced to California! The light, the guests, the details, the LOVE…there was so much awesomeness in this couple and this day.

The day began with Judy & Dan getting ready at Hotel Vitale, followed by their First Look at the Pier Building. Their ceremony was held on the top floor of the stunning San Francisco City Hall, where we’ve had the privilege of shooting many elopements and weddings there now. After the ceremony, all of the guests hopped into a chartered trolley car for a tour around San Francisco!

We stopped in Ghiradelli Square for some portraits and made our way to the Mission District for the cocktail hour and reception at Foreign Cinema. The french film Amelie played in the background of the reception, which was the feather in the cap of a truly french romance-themed wedding.

Any advice for other brides planning their own wedding?

JUDY: “Spend some time brainstorming ideas of how you want your wedding to look. Collect inspirational photos from blogs and magazines and edit them down every week. Your taste may change as you collect them. Once your heart is set on a theme and color palette, start shopping at craft stores and researching best prices online. Keep a running log of all the supplies you have purchased and know what you already have in your stock to work with. Sometimes you will catch a good 40% off sale!

Do your research on vendor pricing and practice your eye for identifying talent. Its not only important to know how much each vendor costs, but also how good they are at what they do.

Be prepared to experience some arguments with your partner. It’s only natural! Just remember the number one thing behind all the madness is the love you have for each other.

I know EVERYONE and their momma says “take time to enjoy your day, breathe”. Easier said than done. If your budget allows, get a coordinator. If you can’t hire a coordinator, have a clearly laid out plan with your friends and family to a realistic timeline. Make sure you make it easier on yourself and others.

Ask yourself, “is this detail worth my time and worry?” You can’t get that day back, so the better state of mind you are in to take it ALL IN, the better. It really does go by too fast.”

“Remember to hold your husband’s hand as much as you can during the day. With all the guests and coordination of events, it’s easy to lose each other in the chaos.”